Strange Occurrence?

Thursday my wife and I were fishing a brush pile, We were anchored in a bay like area in 17 feet of water, upwind from the brush. The water was rippled, but not choppy. Suddenly we were hit by three waves which were actually cresting over ( white capping ). These were really big waves (3-4ft), considering there had been no big boat, or any boat for that matter, and no pickup in the wind. The bay is approximately 250 yards by one half mile, with the wind quartering across the narrow side. As soon as the waves subsided, all returned to normal. We were in a deep Lund; had it been a smaller boat I have no doubt swamping would have been a definite possibility. I have heard of wave potentiation in the ocean. Anyone ever experienced anything similar, or have an explanation?
Thanks

There was an earthquake recorded in TN on May 24, which would be the right day. It was at around 3 pm. Could that be it?

Wow that's scary

Bigfoot swimming underwater. Someone notify DonDon. :fingerdance

Heard of something similar happening on a lake here in Central KY .... very deep & narrow lake with rock cliffs. I heard that a section of one of the cliffs (under the surface) gave way in a sort of "landslide", causing heavy waves to go across the lake & back. It bounced a few docks & marina moored houseboats around, but didn't do major damage .... other than freaking out a few people occupying those houseboats. (it happened in a no wake zone)

What about when a lake turns over? I know they say you can smell it when it occurs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by S10CHEVY

What about when a lake turns over? I know they say you can smell it when it occurs.

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IMHO-
Turnover wouldn't create a wave. Turnover occurs when the water is warm and cold temps cool the upper layer, which then drops down thru the lower warm layers (because cold water is heavier/denser than warm water) and that stirs up the layers, evening out the temps throughout those layers. When you can "smell" the turnover it's because the bottom muck is stirred up in the process.

Many years ago, when I was fishing Lake Champlain in VT, we experienced something similar. You'd be sitting in your boat on calm water and all of a sudden the water would swell in a series of incredibly big, powerful waves.....several in succession. No white caps.....just large waves. Again, no boats or barges were around us, nor had there been any for a long time.

The locals told us it was their "nessie" monster! LOL! But, some did say that when the big barges pass through the locks, waves can reverberate for hours throughout the lake's system. Who knows? In any case it can be disturbing, like you said!

I have a experienced this on Center Hill Lake......no barges or lock on that lake. I was fishing in sight of dam and not another boat in sight. You could see it coming from the direction of the dam and it was pretty high....maybe 3 feet. Have no clue how or why it was created....but I must admit kind of spooky.

Regards


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I bet that was spooky

I have experienced similar also. I was on the Wabash River in the New Madrid fault area. A small quake stirred up small waves a couple feet high. :dono

I have seen something similar. Generally on reservoirs with current,wind,and an irregular bottom. I figured it was a form of wave stacking or rogue wave phenomenon.

We do have about 200 earthquakes a year on the New Madrid Fault but they are generally 2 or less. But we have had a couple a little stronger lately. Not sure about the water effect.

On the Ohio and Mississippi I have fished many years in even some relatively small Jon boats. Taken the shot from tows many times. You have to stay so the boat can bob with it in deeper water where the wave is not breaking. Sort of like a smaller boat on the ocean...you can't get caught in a breaking wave. You can navigate in 5 and 6 ft waves in a storm with the right boat but you have to use the power and position of the boat and the right speed to drive through them. You lose power or make a mistake with the boat position get ready for a boat full of water.

I've experienced that many times in a small hydro-electric reservoir. I thought it was created when the water was suddenly stopped from flowing through the plant. The wave could be pretty serious and could raise the water level of the reservoir several feet. I remember fishing visible stumps one second and after the wave, there were no stumps to be seen.

odd stuff .....would make me wonder what in the heck for sure

:yikesTsunamis